Sinnington, near Kirkbymoorside, has been swamped repeatedly for years, most recently last June, when much of the village was under several feet of water.

The work, carried out by the Environment Agency, will speed the flow of water through the bridge in the village, which previously had a bottleneck effect, Matt Smith, of the Agency, said.

A large part of the operation included removal of silt, where it had accumulated on the inside of bends upstream and downstream of the bridge, he said.

"The material removed was spread over the grassed area just downstream of the bridge. All the areas disturbed have been landscaped and grass seeded."

The Agency's biodiversity, fisheries and technical teams worked closely together to ensure the scheme's impact on the local environment and the river was beneficial.

The Agency is now working with the parish council on a community flood plan, which will help residents know what to do before, during and after a flood.